Thill-coupling.



Patented Sept. 30, 1902-.

A. MENDENHALL.

THILL COUPLING.

(Apphcltion a No Modal.)

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ALBERT MENDENHALL, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BYRON V. SEEVERS, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,365, dated September 30, 1902.

Application filed February '71 902- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MENDENHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State 5 of Iowa, havein vented a new and usefulThill- Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to provide a simple, strong, and durable thill -coupling that is readily 1o locked by means of a spring-latch, as required for practical use and to prevent rattling, and also readily unlatched for detaching the thilliron Whenever desired! My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth,pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Figure l is a top view of the coupling, showing the relative positions of the parts when open for removing the thill iron. 2 is a perspective view showing the coupling in a closed and locked position as required in practical use. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the overlying parts hinged together by means of a spring-latch. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the overlying parts of the coupling and a spring-clasp that locks them together. Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the end of a thill- 0 iron adapted to be used in place of the one that has a T end, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The letter A designates the base and main portion of the coupling, adapted to be fixed to an axle by means of a clip Bin a common way. Its front end is bifurcated and terminates in upturned mating hooks 0, adapted to serve as bearings for the T end of a thill-iron D.

fis an integral vertical extension at the rear end portion of. the enlarged part of the base A, and g is a fixed striker projecting from the side for engaging the spring-latch.

A is a block fitted upon the top of the base A and to the ends of the hooks c, and II is a spring-clasp fitted and fixed to said block by means of screws and hinged to the base A, as shown in Fig. 4, in'such a manner that the Serial No. 93,098. (No model.)

free end portion,that is provided with an elongated aperture 2, will admit the striker g, as shown in Fig. 2 and as required to lock the coupling to retain the thill-iron pivotally and securely in its place.

J is an elastic packing, preferably rubber, fitted in a transverse dovetail groove in the concaved face portion ofthe block A as required to engage the T end of the thill-iron D and to prevent rattling.

Having described the construction,arrangement, and combination of the different parts, the practical operation and utility of my invention will be readily understood bypersons 6o familiar with the art to which it pertains, and lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling, a base-piece, adapted to be fixed to theaxle of a vehicle, turned upward at its front end to engage a thill-iron and provided with a vertical projection to engage a hinged block and a laterally-projecting striker to engage a spring-latch, a block fitted on top of the base and a spring-latch fixed to the block and hinged to the base and its free end adapted to engage the fixed striker, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

2. A thill-coupling comprising a base-piece adapted to be fixed to the axle of a vehicle and hook-shaped at its front end, a vertical projection at the rear end of the enlarged portion and a fixed striker for a latch at one of its edges, a block fitted on top of said base, a cushion fitted in the block to engage the thilliron, a spring-latch fixed to the block and hinged to the base and its free end adapted to engage said striker and a thill-iron pivotally connected with the hook-shaped end of the base, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth forthe purposes stated.

ALBERT MENDENI-IALL.

Witnesses:

R. M. HAWKINS, 0. \ViMCFALL. 

